For Whom the City of Bell Tolls

Police have arrested current and former city officials who are accused of pilfering millions from the taxpayers of Bell. The small Los Angeles suburb gained national notoriety as a poster town for bureaucratic corruption, and authorities wasted no time investigating and arresting the alleged nest featherers.

Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley filed charges against eight current and former Bell officials Tuesday, alleging that they misappropriated $5.5 million in public funds. Robert Rizzo, Bell’s former city manager, has been charged with 53 counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest.

The charges come after a dramatic morning in which authorities swept through Bell and other cities, arresting former and current Bell officials.

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Four of the five City Council members, including the mayor, shown in this capture from the city of Bell’s website were arrested Tuesday.